Page 70 - The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12: English, 2007 (Revised)

Sentence Craft and Fluency
2.4 write complete sentences that communicate their meaning clearly and accurately, varying sentence type, structure, and length to suit dif- ferent purposes and making smooth and logi- cal transitions between ideas (e.g., combine short sentences to add variety to a paragraph or to express the ideas in a more sophisticated way; use a variety of transitional words and phrases to connect sentences within paragraphs)
Teacher prompts: “What changes could you make to the type, structure, and/or length of your sentences to make your paragraph flow better?” “How could you combine these two short sentences, which refer to different aspects of the same idea, to make the relationship between them clearer to the reader?”
Critical Literacy
2.5 explain how their own beliefs, values, and experiences are revealed in their writing
(e.g., examine their writing to check for bias
and to determine whether their language and ideas are inclusive and non-discriminatory; explain how their description of an object or a place in their narrative reveals their cultural values; ask themselves whether someone from a different background would be able to under- stand their attachment to an object or a place described in their narrative, and adjust their text to help others better understand4)
Teacher prompt: “How do you think the ideas or attitudes expressed in your text reflect your own beliefs? Are these beliefs shared by everyone in your community? How could you alter your text to help someone from a different background understand your ideas?”
Revision
2.6 revise drafts to improve the content, organiza- tion, clarity, and style of their written work, using a variety of teacher-modelled strategies (e.g., delete irrelevant arguments to enhance
the impact of a persuasive essay; add details to reveal more about the motivation of a character in a short narrative; reorganize information to heighten the impact of a news report5)
Teacher prompts: “Have you included in your persuasive essay all the supporting details needed to convince your reader?” “How could you better organize your narrative to make your ideas clearer to your audience?” “Will your readers be familiar with the concepts you
mention in your news report? Which ones need to be explained more fully?”
Producing Drafts
2.7 produce revised drafts of texts, including increasingly complex texts, written to meet cri- teria identified by the teacher, based on the curriculum expectations (e.g., adequate devel- opment of information and ideas, logical organi- zation, appropriate use of form and style, appro- priate use of conventions)
Teacher prompts: “Have you organized your ideas logically, so that they can be under- stood by the reader?” “Are there any impor- tant aspects of the topic in your report that still need to be explained?”
3. Applying Knowledge of Conventions
By the end of this course, students will:
Spelling
3.1 use knowledge of spelling rules and patterns, a variety of resources, and appropriate strategies to recognize and correct their own and others’ spelling errors (e.g., apply their knowledge of spelling rules and patterns correctly, such as when adding a suffix to words ending in y or a silent e and when considering whether to double the final consonant before a suffix; maintain a list showing the correct spelling of words they frequently misspell, and consult it when writing; use their knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes to spell unfamiliar words correctly6)
Teacher prompt: “Which spelling patterns give you trouble? Do you keep a personal spelling reference list to help you apply these patterns correctly?”
Vocabulary
3.2 build vocabulary for writing by confirming word meaning(s) and reviewing and refining word choice, using a variety of resources and strategies, as appropriate for the purpose (e.g., consult a variety of appropriate print and elec- tronic resources to confirm meanings of words; use a thesaurus to find a more precise word to suit the context; maintain their own lists of subject- specific and technical language, and consult these lists to enhance their writing7)
Teacher prompt: “What is the danger in using an unfamiliar word found in a thesaurus? How can you avoid this danger?”
4. TL English 10-12 “Crawling Inside the Text ... to Find Who’s There and Who’s Not” 30 5. TLCC 7-12 “Revising and Editing: Asking Questions to Revise Writing” 128 6. TLE 7-9 “Sample Roots and Prefixes” 54 7. TLCC 7-12 “Using Context to Find Meaning” 38-39
WRITING
69
English
ENG3C